Airbag cushion with adaptive diffuser for out-of-position conditions
An airbag cushion is disclosed for use in automotive protective systems. The airbag cushion includes a diffuser tethered to the membrane of the cushion. The airbag cushion partially expands when an obstruction is encountered and fully expands when no obstruction is encountered. The tethered diffuser is controlled by expansion of the cushion. This permits the cushion to vary the amount of gas vented from the cushion to adjust for out-of-position conditions and normal restraint conditions.
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The present invention relates generally to the field of automotive protective systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to inflatable airbags for automobiles.
Understanding that drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings as listed below.
Described below are embodiments of an airbag cushion and venting mechanism. As those of skill in the art will appreciate, the principles of the invention may be applied to and used with a variety of airbag deployment systems including frontal driver and passenger airbags, knee airbags, overhead airbags, curtain airbags, and the like. Thus, the present invention is applicable to airbag cushions of various shapes and sizes.
Airbag cushions are frequently located in an instrument panel and directly in front of an occupant. During a collision, an airbag cushion inflates and deploys through a cosmetic cover. The airbag cushion deploys towards the occupant and provides a restraint.
Full inflation of an airbag is not always desired. For example, partial or suppressed inflation may offer optimal protection when the occupant being protected by the airbag cushion is a child, a baby in a rear facing car seat or an adult positioned too close to the air bag cushion. Such conditions are referred to as out-of-position conditions. Embodiments described below provide an airbag cushion that responds to an occupant's position and vents accordingly to avoid excessive deploying impact.
Embodiments disclosed herein permit response to occupant position and vents accordingly. Each embodiment of the airbag cushion has a first cushion vent in the cushion membrane for venting gas. Each embodiment has a diffuser to re-direct the inflation gas from the inflator elsewhere within the airbag cushion. Each diffuser has a first diffuser vent for venting gas out of the diffuser. Each diffuser is connected to the cushion membrane via a component such as a control tether. The tether may be connected at one end to a vent and at an opposing end elsewhere within or on the cushion.
If an occupant is in close proximity to the deploying airbag and restricts normal inflation, the diffuser vent directs gas to the cushion vent to allow gas to rapidly escape. If the occupant is in a normal position and inflation is unrestricted, the tension pulls on the tether to prevent gas from being directed at the cushion vent via the diffuser vent. Thus, the configuration permits the cushion to vary as needed for out-of-position conditions and normal restraint conditions. In this manner, the airbag cushion is sensitive to obstructive expansion of the cushion.
With reference now to the accompanying figures, particular embodiments of the invention will now be described in greater detail. One embodiment of airbag module 100 is shown in
Some of the structures of the airbag cushion 101 are best seen with reference to
Diffuser 130 is configured to create a pressure pocket and re-direct the inflation gas to the cushion vents 150a-b. The embodiment of the diffuser shown in
Diffuser vents 135a-b (not shown in
Because diffuser 130 and cushion vents 150a-b are independent of each other, the diffuser openings 135a-b can extend beyond cushion vents 150a-b when no obstruction is encountered, such as an out-of-position occupant. The same is true for the embodiment of the diffuser identified at 130′ in
Tack stitches 138 can optionally be used to initially secure diffuser 130 to cushion membrane 110. The ruptured tack stitches are identified in
As shown in
Control tether 170′ is configured to move with the expansion of airbag cushion 101′. One end of tether 170′ is connected to tube 142a of diffuser vent 135a′ by tether attachment 171a′ and the other end is attached to tube 142b of diffuser vent 135b′ by tether attachment 171b′ (not shown). Tether 170′ is coupled to cushion membrane 110 via a tether attachment 179′ which is part of or extends from membrane 110 of airbag cushion 101. Tether attachment 179′ serves as an anchor for tether 170′. Tether attachment 179′ as shown in
In the other depicted embodiment, tether attachment 179 is anchored by stitching between cushion membrane 110 and tether 170. Two tethers like tether 170 could also be used instead of tether 170′ so that each tether has one end attached to a feature which closes a diffuser vent and another end which is fixedly attached to the cushion membrane like tether 170 via tether attachment 179. Of course, diffuser 130 could also be moved by a tether such as tether 170′ which is attached to diffuser 130 at two points and is anchored to cushion membrane via a feature such as tether attachment 179′.
In the depicted embodiment, tether attachment 179′ is located at the front portion 102f of the interior 102 of the cushion membrane just below face surface 113, which is the surface of the airbag cushion directed to the occupant. The tether attachment may be disposed elsewhere such as proximate to a different portion of interior surface 111. For example, the tether attachment may be opposite face surface 113. Alternatively, the tether attachment may be a portion of exterior surface 112. Thus, tether 170 may extend through the interior 102 of the airbag cushion 101 or may be positioned exterior to the airbag cushion 101. The location of the tether attachment depends on module deployment angle, vehicle interior geometry, and cushion type. In another embodiment, the control tether is an integral extension of either cushion membrane 110 or tube 142. The tether may comprise a nylon material or other suitable material known in the art.
Tether 170′ has an end with a tether attachment 171′ which is stitching, however, attachment may also be achieved by bonds, adhesives, etc. Tether 170′ has a vent portion 173′ around the majority of the perimeter of cinch tube 142. Vent portion 173′ is the portion of tether 170 which actuates closeable diffuser vent 135′. Vent portion 173′ circumvents a majority of the perimeter of cinch tube 142 within sleeve 143 in order to properly tighten and restrict the cinch vent 135′. Vent portion 173′ enters sleeve 143 via sleeve aperture 144. As shown in
Tether attachment 179 or 179′ may also be located at the base of a fold and the fold may be stitched together with an optional tack stitch as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/528,265, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,614,653 titled PRE-FOLDED AIRBAG CUSHION WITH OPTIONAL VENTING FOR OUT-OF-POSITION CONDITIONS which was filed on Sep. 27, 2006. An optional tack stitch is advantageous to prevent undesired closure of diffuser vents during shipping or handling and to ensure that the tether remains slack during initial deployment of the airbag. The releasable temporary holding features discussed above as alternatives to tack stitches 138 may also be used to hold a fold so that the tether does not prematurely actuate the gas venting features.
Cinch tube 142 may have any suitable shape such as rectangular, triangular, or polygon shapes. The cinch tube may be embodied with a height that is sufficient to achieve desired closure. In one embodiment, the cinch tube has height which is about half of its diameter. Selecting an appropriate height to diameter ratio permits the cinch tube to close during cinching without resistance from membrane tension. The design permits the cinch tube to be a low-stress element in the cushion assembly which is helpful during unfolding of the cushion and pressurization. The cinch tube may comprise the same material used for membrane 110 such as a nylon woven fabric-type or other suitable material known in the art. Designs for incrementally closing a cinch tube are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/295,953 titled LOCKING MECHANISM FOR A CINCH TUBE OF AN AIRBAG CUSHION which was filed on Dec. 7, 2005.
In addition to the closeable diffuser vents in the depicted embodiments, other configurations for closeable vents may also be used. Examples of suitable configurations for a closeable vent are also disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/528,266, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,722,080 titled AIRBAG CUSHION WITH A FLAP VENT TO OPTIONALLY VENT GAS FOR OUT-OF-POSITION CONDITIONS which was filed on Sep. 27, 2006 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/528,118, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,556,290 titled AIRBAG CUSHION WITH A LACED VENT TO OPTIONALLY VENT GAS FOR OUT-OF-POSITION CONDITIONS which was filed on Sep. 27, 2006; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/296,031 titled AIRBAG CUSHION WITH DIFFUSER AND CINCH TUBE TO VENT GAS FOR OUT-OF-POSITION CONDITIONS which was filed on Dec. 7, 2005; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/959,256 titled AIRBAG CUSHION WITH VENT FOR REDUCED OUT-OF-POSITION EFFECTS which was filed on Oct. 6, 2004; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/959,387 titled AIRBAG CUSHION WITH TETHER DEACTIVATED VENTING FOR REDUCED OUT-OF-POSITION EFFECTS which was filed on Oct. 6, 2004; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/832,843 titled CUSHION VENTING DESIGN FOR OUT OF POSITION OCCUPANT PROTECTION which was filed on Apr. 27, 2004.
Additional fixed diffuser vents 134′ allow alternative gas flow paths into interior 102 and do not vary in flow based on encountering an obstruction. Additional fixed diffuser vents 134′ may be used to provide consistent venting of the airbag cushion which are not restricted by an occupant's position. Such additional fixed diffuser vents may be smaller or larger than cushion vents 150a-b.
Embodiments disclosed herein illustrate novel techniques for venting gas when an occupant obstructs the path of a deploying cushion. Airbag cushions provide improved safety by deploying with less pressure when an occupant is obstructing deployment. The airbag cushions deploy with more pressure when an occupant is not obstructing deployment and when high pressure is required to provide the necessary restraint. The airbag cushions described herein have application to both driver and passenger positions. Furthermore, the airbag cushions may be configured in a variety of sizes based on design constraints.
The embodiments of a cushion vent disclosed herein are examples of means for venting gas out of the cushion membrane. The embodiments of diffusers disclosed herein are examples of means for diffusing gas by re-directing inflation gas from an inflator to a diffuser vent. The embodiments of diffuser vents disclosed herein are examples of means for venting gas out of the diffusing means. The tether disclosed herein are examples of means for tethering the diffusing means to the cushion membrane. The temporary holding features, such as tack stitches, configured to initially secure the diffusing means to cushion membrane are examples of means for temporarily securing the diffusing means to the cushion membrane.
The patent applications and the patents which issue from the above referenced applications are hereby incorporated by reference. The above description fully discloses the invention including preferred embodiments thereof. Without further elaboration, it is believed that one skilled in the art can use the preceding description to utilize the invention to its fullest extent. Therefore the examples and embodiments disclosed herein are to be construed as merely illustrative and not a limitation of the scope of the present invention in any way.
It will be apparent to those having skill in the art that changes may be made to the details of the above-described embodiments without departing from the essential characteristics and underlying principles of the invention. Embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows. Note that elements recited in means-plus-function format are intended to be construed in accordance with 35 U.S.C. §112 ¶6.
Claims
1. An airbag module, comprising:
- an inflatable airbag cushion having a cushion membrane with a first cushion vent,
- a diffuser having a first diffuser vent, wherein the diffuser is positioned and configured to re-direct inflation gas from an inflator to the first diffuser vent, and wherein the diffuser is positioned and configured to provide an aligned configuration between the first diffuser vent and the first cushion vent when deployment of the airbag is obstructed such that the gas rapidly exits the inflatable airbag cushion via the first cushion vent, and
- a tether extending between the cushion membrane and the diffuser such that upon deployment of the inflatable airbag cushion with obstruction, the tether does not fully extend and gas continues to be directed via the first diffuser vent toward the first cushion vent to prevent the airbag cushion from fully expanding, and upon deployment of the inflatable airbag cushion without obstruction, the tether extends sufficiently to pull the diffuser such that the first diffuser vent moves from the aligned configuration with respect to the first cushion vent to a misaligned configuration, which reduces the flow of gas directed toward the first cushion vent via the first diffuser vent and increases the flow of gas into the inflatable airbag cushion to enable the inflatable airbag cushion to fully expand.
2. The airbag module of claim 1, wherein the tether is anchored to the cushion membrane via a tether attachment.
3. The airbag module of claim 1, wherein the tether is fixedly anchored to the cushion membrane.
4. The airbag module of claim 1, wherein the tether is moveably anchored to the cushion membrane.
5. The airbag module of claim 1, wherein the tether is anchored to the cushion membrane at the front portion of the interior of the cushion membrane.
6. The airbag module of claim 1, wherein a releasable temporary holding feature temporarily attaches the diffuser to the cushion membrane.
7. The airbag module of claim 1, wherein the releasable temporary holding feature ensures alignment of the first cushion vent and the first diffuser vent during initial deployment of the airbag module.
8. The airbag module of claim 1, wherein the first cushion vent and the first diffuser vent are sufficiently spaced apart from each other such that the first cushion vent and the first diffuser vent are not in physical contact once the airbag has expanded with or without obstruction.
9. The airbag module of claim 1, wherein the diffuser is positioned around the inflator.
10. The airbag module of claim 1, wherein the first cushion vent remains open when the airbag cushion expands.
11. The airbag module of claim 10, further comprising a second diffuser vent in the diffuser and a second cushion vent in the cushion membrane which are initially aligned.
12. An airbag module, comprising:
- an inflatable airbag cushion having a cushion membrane with a first cushion vent,
- a diffuser having a first fixed diffuser vent, wherein the diffuser is positioned over an inflator and is configured to re-direct inflation gas from the inflator and out of the first fixed diffuser vent, and
- a tether extending between the cushion membrane and the diffuser, wherein the first fixed diffuser vent is initially aligned with the first cushion vent such that upon deployment of the inflatable airbag cushion with obstruction gas is vented out of the first cushion vent which is directly received from the first fixed diffuser vent, and wherein the tether pulls the diffuser upon deployment of the inflatable airbag cushion without obstruction to misalign the first fixed diffuser vent and the first cushion vent so that gas from the first fixed diffuser vent is not directed at the at least one cushion vent and the airbag cushion fully deploys.
13. The airbag module of claim 12, wherein the tether is anchored to the cushion membrane via a tether attachment.
14. The airbag module of claim 12, wherein the tether is fixedly anchored to the cushion membrane.
15. The airbag module of claim 12, wherein the tether is moveably anchored to the cushion membrane.
16. The airbag module of claim 12, wherein the tether is anchored to the cushion membrane at the front portion of the interior of the cushion membrane.
17. The airbag module of claim 12, wherein a releasable temporary holding feature temporarily attaches the diffuser to the cushion membrane.
18. The airbag module of claim 12, wherein the releasable temporary holding feature ensures alignment of the first cushion vent and the first fixed diffuser vent during initial deployment of the airbag module.
19. An airbag module, comprising:
- an inflatable airbag cushion having a cushion membrane with a first cushion vent,
- a diffuser having first closeable diffuser vent, wherein the diffuser is positioned over an inflator and is configured to re-direct inflation gas from the inflator and out of the diffuser, and
- a tether extending between the cushion membrane and the first closeable diffuser vent, wherein gas is vented out of the first cushion vent which is directly received from the first closeable diffuser vent upon deployment of the inflatable airbag cushion with obstruction, and wherein deployment without obstruction enables the tether to become sufficiently taut to cause the reduction of the flow of gas directed toward the first cushion vent via the first closeable diffuser vent to enable the inflatable airbag cushion to fully expand.
20. The airbag module of claim 19, wherein the tether is anchored to the cushion membrane via a tether attachment.
21. The airbag module of claim 19, wherein the tether is fixedly anchored to the cushion membrane.
22. The airbag module of claim 19, wherein the tether is moveably anchored to the cushion membrane.
23. The airbag module of claim 19, wherein the tether is anchored to the cushion membrane at the front portion of the interior of the cushion membrane.
24. The airbag module of claim 19, wherein a releasable temporary holding feature temporarily attaches the diffuser to the cushion membrane.
25. The airbag module of claim 19, wherein the releasable temporary holding feature ensures alignment of the first cushion vent and the first closeable diffuser vent during initial deployment of the airbag module.
26. The airbag module of claim 19, wherein the flow of gas directed toward the first cushion vent via the first closeable diffuser vent is reduced upon deployment without obstruction because the tether has become sufficiently taut to at least partially close the first closeable diffuser vent.
27. The airbag module of claim 19, wherein the flow of gas directed toward the first cushion vent via the first closeable diffuser vent is reduced upon deployment without obstruction because the tether has become sufficiently taut to cause misalignment of the first closeable diffuser vent and the first cushion vent.
28. An airbag module, comprising:
- an inflatable airbag cushion having a cushion membrane with means for venting gas out of the cushion membrane, wherein the means for venting gas out of the cushion membrane remain open when the airbag cushion expands,
- means for diffusing gas by re-directing inflation gas received directly from an inflator to means for venting gas out of the diffusing means,
- means for tethering the diffusing means to the cushion membrane such that upon deployment of the inflatable airbag cushion with obstruction, the tethering means does not fully extend and gas continues to be directed via means for venting gas out of the diffusing means toward the means for venting gas out of the cushion membrane to prevent the airbag cushion from fully expanding, and upon deployment of the inflatable airbag cushion without obstruction, the tethering means extends sufficiently to cause the reduction of the flow of gas directed toward the means for venting gas out of the cushion membrane via the means for venting gas out of the diffusing means to enable the inflatable airbag cushion to fully expand.
29. The airbag module of claim 28, further comprising means for temporarily securing the diffusing means to the cushion membrane.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Sep 27, 2006
Date of Patent: Jul 6, 2010
Patent Publication Number: 20080073893
Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc. (Ogden, UT)
Inventor: David W. Schneider (Waterford, MI)
Primary Examiner: Paul N. Dickson
Assistant Examiner: Timothy Wilhelm
Attorney: Stoel Rives LLP
Application Number: 11/528,042
International Classification: B60R 21/239 (20060101);